Peasreads: Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

 

Tesia Tsai has woven a story so beautifully that I read it in two days. A story about duty, honor, love, letting go, and holding on. Fighting for what you love and knowing when to let go is best. Siying is a priestess who is tasked with guiding the deceased to their resting places. She lives in a kingdom that is in the midst of war. She takes on a job to bring a soldier to his home across the border. The soldier turns out to be the missing crown prince. When she reanimates him, he comes to life. Though not completely, she soon finds out that he needs qi to actually stay alive. They set off on a journey to bring him home, gathering purified qi along the way.

I do hope @illumicrate it @fairyloot will do a special edition of this one I can't wait to have a copy on my bookshelves.

Description

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince's head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying's commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won't stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince's death—secrets that could endanger both Siying's father and their entire kingdom.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasread- Kill the Beast by Serra Swift

 

I wanted to love this book so much.  The whole premise, the story, the world the author built, those were amazing. Side characters were great.  Alderic was great. I'm torn, there is so much that could have been so amazing.  If you can read it without having to like the main character and still enjoy the story, then yes. It's a good read.

 Trigger warnings: Suicidal ideation, self-harm and harm to a pet are fairly big factors in the story.

This book is not wholesome or cozy, which I have seen people describe it as. 

I had an issue with  Lyssa, the main character. I understand that her circumstances were bad. Being abandoned by her dad. Bad. Trauma bad. Seeing her brother murdered by the Beast as a child. Very Bad. Loads of trauma is bad. I understand the anger. However, her default was rage and violence. Physical harm to anyone and everyone present, even the innocent.  After 10 years, or 13, that was still the default. There was no growth. No regret later. She just couldn't seem to think beyond that violence. I could like and root for a character who was growing through rage, violence, and loss. I could understand deep grieving.  Despite having those by her side who gave her the opportunity for growth. She simply dug her heels in and continued. I am not saying she should forgive the people who caused trauma in her life or stop grieving.  There was no maturity.  No thought to her killing- just rage. She was a flat, one-dimensional character until we met Alderic, when we find out that she's also mean and hateful. She makes fun of how he dresses and his hobbies. Even when he reveals his character to her throughout the story, she doesn't grow. 

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Life, and Death, and Giants A Novel by Ron Rindo

This is a book about Gabriel Fisher a boy who was born an orphan. The events surrounding his birth are scary, and it is mystery who his father is. He is lovingly cared for by his older brother and the town vet. He has a way with animals and is growing at an alarming rate. He is clearly a unique child. He grows up alongside the Amish community that shunned his mother and brother. His mother was put under the ban for not disclosing who the father of her children is.  
While this story is about Gabriel's life, it is also about the family that you choose and the family that you're born into. It is about community, love, loss, and as the description says, everyday miracles. It isn't a religious book. 
I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it made me cry. 

Trigger warnings- Sexual asault, self harm, addiction. 

Description

A heart too big for this world. A life that changes everyone.

"Life, and Death, and Giants is an intriguing and alluring novel from beginning to end. The events are startling, sad, amusing, invigorating, and informative. Reading it is like meeting a family that you never knew existed and becoming close friends in a few weeks. Highly recommended." --Jane Smiley, author of Lucky and A Thousand Acres

Gabriel Fisher was born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. No one in Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. But when the older brother who has been caring for him dies, Gabriel is taken in by his devout Amish grandparents who disapprove of all the attention and hide him away from the English world.

But it’s hard to hide forever when you’re nearly eight feet tall. At seventeen, Gabriel is spotted working in a hay field by the local football coach. What happens next transforms not only Gabriel’s life but the lives of everyone he meets.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a moving story of faith, family, buried secrets, and everyday miracles

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and St. Martin's press. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Selkie by Nataly Gruender

More Selkie books please! I like Selkie lore and this one is from the author of Medusa which I really enjoyed (so good!). This wasn't as good o ONLY because it was a little rushed in the end and I didn't want it to end! From the start I if course was angry for Quinn, I saw red when she was held against her will. I understood her feelings towards those adults around her. It made me sad. Reading her journey was so so good though. This didn't end like I thought it might, I'm sad about that but also happy with how it ended for some of the characters. Not happy for others. It was a quick read. I started it yesterday. Finished it today. 

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions are my own 

Description

From the author of Medusa comes a beautiful and emotional story featuring a selkie: a mythological creature who can turn from a seal into a human. 

Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.  

Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.  

Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her? 

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Peasreads: Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter

 

3.75 stars! 

When I first saw this book, I thought, "meh, another billionaire trope". It'll be entertaining if nothing else. The thing is, it WAS entertaining. It was fun. and funny at times. Was it just too much of a coincidence that Abi just happened to have the same name as Abby? Sure. Let's face it though: how else do these stories start? Two people have a dilemma; they can both help each other out, and so they do. You know they will get together in the end so it's about the journey. This journey was cute. The only thing is that when it did end, I wish there was some explanation as to how they got together to their family and friends. 

Description

A millionaire and a house cleaner are a match maid in heaven in this sparkling new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happily Never After.

As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a building-wide outbreak, she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn’t have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn’t consider it, but he’s literally never around (she hasn’t even met him). It goes great…until one morning she finds two strangers in the kitchen. They’re the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they’ve heard all about Abi—not as their son’s maid, but as his girlfriend.

Declan Powell has always put his career first, working his way up to become an executive at his company, but he still has his sights set on the next level. When his parents mention that they met his girlfriend, “Abby,” he all but chokes on his escargot. As wonderful as it sounds that she was just darling, he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend—he made her up to get everyone off his back. When Dex finds out who Abi really is, he makes her a proposition: pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs during their little arrangement. What harm would it do? It’s purely business, no pleasure…right?

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Peasreads: A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox

 Set in the Dutch Golden Age this story has the fun storytelling, magic, and folklore woven into the reimagining of The Little Mermaid. Smart and beautifully done.

Clara, the main character, was likeable and I cheered for her. I could relate to her and understand the reasoning behind many of her decisions. Her people, her wonderful nursemaid, I liked them. Without giving any spoilers away, I think if Clara knew from the start how her beautiful home was procured she would have been a force to be reckoned with from the start. The great thing is that with the knowledge learned along the way, she was smart, brave, and resilient. She loved her people, but she could also see the wrong done to others for her to have the life she lived. Maurits is the other main character. I enjoyed his charm and care, until he just got sappy. Yes, be in love, but be smart about it.  His flowery words were almost too much for me. I could see how his being so enamored by the human world made things easy for his brother, the antagonist. Maurits was irresponsible, and it was hard to reconcile my feelings for him with how things turned out. I would have liked him more if the book were longer. If more time were taken to develop his character, and give him more depth and maturity. The magical creatures and folklore were such great additions. This story is an entertaining, fun read. It is also a read that makes you think about climate change, slavery, and oppression.  Hester Fox didn't write the topics of climate change, slavery, and oppression into the book in a glaring way; they are woven in seamlessly, and they are the foundation of how the town was built and how it thrived. They are what the wealthy stand on. There is no way to gloss over that. 

Description: Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lu rsheimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton’s The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar.

The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill omen: a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn’t believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule.

When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family’s estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.

But Maurits isn’t who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.

What can you expect in A MAGIC DEEP & DROWNING?
Lush & Enchanting
Gender-swap of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid
Historical Fantasy
Set in 17th Century Netherlands
Family Secrets
Atmospheric Vibes 

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are  my own.  

Peasreads: Celestial Banquet Roselle Lim

 Celestial Banquet: Fast-paced, drool worthy fantasy adventure with excellent world-building. Great concept. A cooking competition for the three major gods by mortals. The grand prize is a peach of immortality for each team member. Not winning could cost you your life. Cai is the main character, she is a poor orphan who wants to fulfill her father's dream of competing in the Celestial Banquet. She is a smart, skilled, hard worker. There is a love triangle in this book, but it's so secondary and unnecessary. The only part of the book that wasn't well written, it was too much too fast. One star off for that. (Sorry). Bo is Cai's best friend from childhood. I never thought he resembled a love interest. He's such an amazing and supportive friend. Soen is a rich noble who sponsors the team in the Celestial Banquet. He is kind and honorable. All of these characters had enough to them and their story that to add the romance needed more pages and build. I'm glad Cai chose well in the end, though.

My other beef is that this book wasn't long enough. I finished it within a 24 hour period. It is 384 fast paced pages that I wanted more of. I don't know if it will end up being a series but the author did leave room for that to happen, which would be awesome. I loved Roselle Lim's food and setting descriptions. She did such a great job. She also described the people and creatures so well. I could picture everything in my mind.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Zando Projects I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are  my own.  

Peasreads: The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh

The conclusion to The Floating World by @axieoh is fantastic. We meet up with Ren and Sunho along with "side" characters that all have just as much personality as the two MC. I was happy to read about all of them and their stories. I didn't find myself skimming over paragraphs to "get back to the real story". I enjoyed all of it. 

I can't wait for my pre order copies to come in

From the publisher:

Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love.

But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

Also by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

The Floating World

I'm so glad I was chosen to read this conclusion to this duology. 

Thank you @netgalley @macmillanusa and @Feiwel & Friends for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review.

Peasreads: The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim

Magical. Just as good as and maybe even a smidge better than the first book The God and the Gumiho. Seokga is ever the moody, trickster who has searched for Hani's reincarnate. When he finds her she not only doesn't remember him but she is almost the opposite of Hani. Watching Seokga fall in love with  Yoo Kisa for who she is was such a treat.  Sophie Kim is quickly becoming a must read author for me.

Description:

In this swoony sequel to The God and the Gumiho, a trickster god must work with his reincarnated lost love to solve his brother’s murder on board a luxury underworld cruise ship.

Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen is working on himself. Reinstated as a god, the trickster now attends much-needed therapy, even as he desperately searches for his lost love, Hani. But when the red thread of fate tangled around his finger—signaling Hani’s reincarnation—leads Seokga to a luxury cruise down the river of the dead, the woman he finds waiting for him isn’t Hani . . . she’s Yoo Kisa, and she has no memory of him.

Yoo Kisa is exhausted with her afterlife. While she’d hoped the underworld would be peaceful, whoever she was in a past life racked up quite the karmic debt, and now she must pay it, working thanklessly aboard the SRC Flatliner. Even worse, the red thread wrapped around her pinky followed her into the underworld . . . and although her fated partner has found her, he seems to find her lacking.

When the heavenly emperor is murdered aboard the ship, Seokga and Kisa must solve the crime before the cruise ends. As the mystery draws them closer, the god and the gwisin will have to decide what they truly mean to each other. But there’s something bigger at play aboard the SRC Flatliner, something that holds the key to Kisa and Seokga’s fated connection—and the fate of the mortal and heavenly realms.

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Peasreads: Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

 If it were not for my love for Mulan and all things Mulan retellings I wouldn't have given this book a second glance. 

This is a Disney a Mulan retelling in an urban setting. There's no going off to war in a literal sense and Mushu isn't a spirit. At first it was a little cheesey then the character development was good, the humor, the way I could relate as a first generation Asian American, the swoon worthy Sheng. I'm laughing, I'm tearing up. I'm hooked. All of a sudden I'm looking down and I'm 95% done with this book but I don't want it to end! Such a sweet fun read 

This is the first book I've read in the Meant To Be series. If they are all this good, sign me up. 

They are all standalone books which is great because I prefer that.

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Peasreads: The Floating World by Axie Oh

I already have this book on pre order and I just finished this e galley.  

This is a beautiful reimagining of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens. 

Axie Oh builds amazing worlds and has such interesting characters. The setting:The Floating World, the Underworld, and every where in-between in this book are detailed in description, unique, yet also familiar. Children playing in the streets, a favorite noodle house, buns being sold during a festival. It's all magical but also familiar. 

 The MC are both so likeable. Ren and Sunho were mature, brave, kind. Their friendship grew without drama from pettiness. It was refreshing and so healthy. The side characters were also likeable. Other than the bad guys that is. 

Such a great book if you liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Castle in the Sky, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. You'll love this one. 

I cannot wait for the second one. 

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Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for this egalley. I was not required to leave a review, all opinions are my own.

Peasreads: The Invisible Wild by Nikki Van De Car

 

My first time reading a book by this author. It was an excellent read. I laughed, I cried, and I was overwhelmed by the beauty and mystery of Nikki Van De Car's Hawaii. The relationships in this story from the teen friendships, teens and siblings, to teens and their parents are written so well. Hearing about Hawaii this way makes me both want to go and want to protect it for it's people. What a moving read.

Pub Date May 06 2025 

Running Press | Running Press Kids

An epic adventure steeped in Hawaiian lore, this enchanting novel explores the connection between our world and that of the spirits of the wood, from bestselling author Nikki Van De Car.

According to legend, when the kanaka 'ōiwi sailed over two thousand miles across untraveled seas to the most remote island chain in the world, they encountered another people living there. They were two to three feet tall, squat and strong, good and kind, and bothered no one without cause—they were the Menehune. When the Hawaiians came, the menehune chieftains feared the changes they brought. So, on the night of a full moon, they called all men and their firstborn sons and ordered them to leave Hawai’i. Some refused and, instead, hid behind to remain with their families. In the early 1800s, Kauai chief Kaumaualiʻi took a census of his people—and 65 of his 2,000 subjects were all that remained of the original people of Hawai’i. 

 

Flash forward to today: sixteen-year-old Emma is out running errands when she comes across a boy from Hilo living in the woods, saying things that do not make sense. It’s here, in these woods, that Emma has memories of finding a space between “the worlds” as a child. She soon realizes this boy has accessed the place she lost, as well as the people, the Menehune. She helps him hide until whatever spell has been cast over him is broken. Together, Emma and the Hilo boy have to figure out what the Menehune want before it’s too late to save the only home any of them have known.  

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Peasreads: The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei

 I had so many emotions while reading through this book. It was such an emotional ride. The hardships of family, the breaking and healing of hearts, loss and gain. I couldn't put it down. I read straight through. 

I believe this is a debut author. I can't believe it. I suspect this book will be much talked about in 2025

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this e galley. All opinions are my own.

From the publisher.

In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Before Arin, Genevieve Yang was an only child. Living with her parents and grandmother in a single-room flat in working-class Bedok, Genevieve is saddled with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears, the shameful legacy of a grandfather long believed to be dead. As the two girls grow closer, they must navigate the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. Knowing that failure is not an option, the sisters learn to depend entirely on one another as they spurn outside friendships, leisure, and any semblance of a social life in pursuit of academic perfection and passage to a better future.

When a stinging betrayal violently estranges Genevieve and Arin, Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love, home versus the outside world, and allegiance to herself versus allegiance to the people who made her who she is. In the story of a family and its contention with the roiling changes of our rapidly modernizing, winner-take-all world, The Original Daughter is a major literary debut, rife with emotional clarity and searing social insight

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: I Am Not Jessica Chen -Ann Liang

I finished this in one day.  One. 

Are the MCs in highschool? Yes.  

Am I in my late forties? Yes. 

Was it still a great read for me? Absolutely yes.

 This book was sad and eye-opening not only as a parent but personally. So many times we try to live up to other people's expectations. We never can. We also try to live up to the strict expectations we put on ourselves. These expectations are impossible at any age. The MC Jenna had expectations put on her by her parents, but she also heaped on even more impossible expectations for herself. We so often do that. Not realizing that those who love us, truly love us as we are and that they too are imperfect.

As a parent reading this book broke my heart to hear about how these students feel in these situations where it's all about how your grades are, if you're in enough extracurriculars, are they the right extracurriculars, I just felt so bad for these kids. I wanted to scoop them up and comfort them. I also was angry at the environment that was made for some to succeed regardless of the effort they put in, while also being a place for others to potentially succeed if they don't rock the boat.

From the Publisher

Harlequin Teen, Jan 29, 2025 - Young Adult Fiction - 384 pages

Jenna Chen has spent her life in the shadow of her flawless cousin. Jessica Chen is so smart she gets the top score on every test. Jessica Chen is so beautiful people stop in the hallway to stare at her. Jessica Chen is so perfect she got into Harvard.

And Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment.

So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true — literally. All of a sudden she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of...but being the model student at cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away — her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back — to be Jessica Chen? 

HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins | Harlequin Teen

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Peasreads: The Sirens by Emilia Hart

 This book is so good.  It is a story of familial love, secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness. With a little more that makes it magical. Mermaids? Shipwrecks? Mystery?  Magical realism.? Resilience? Sisterly love and strength? Check. Check. Check. All the checks.

I liked these characters. I could relate to them in ways. I could empathize with them. Even when I thought I had the whole story figured out I couldn't find that last puzzle piece. That last piece did end up making me lose some respect for the person but in the end it tied everything together. That's the realism for you.  All in all a good entertaining read. 

From the publisher:

A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea. 

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Peasreads: The Enchanted Greenhouse- Sarah Beth Durst

 

I was enchanted by SarahBeth Durst's world and writing from The Spellshop. The Enchanted Greenhouse is a standalone book that takes place in the same world as. It tells the story of a librarian, named Terlu Perna. Terlu uses a spell to create a friend, a certain sentient spider plant named Caz from the first book. The spell is harmless but there is a problem. All magic is forbidden unless you're a sorcerer. The punishment was both swift and harsh as Terlu is transformed into a statue. The story picks up after a brief history of that incident to when Terlu awakens from her punishment in a strange place she's never been. There she meets the caretaker of enchanted greenhouses. He's the only person on the island and he doesn't really have any answers. Just questions of his own to a pretty big problem. The Enchanted Greenhouses are failing. One by one. He needs a sorcerer, but Terlu isn't one. Is there a way she can still help though? She is willing to take the risks as she and her new friends tackle the problem. 

I fell in love with The Enchanted Greenhouse and all its amazing rooms. I want to go back to this world. I hope we all get the chance to. This is the kind of cozy Cottagecore we all need for 2025.

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

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I received this book from NetGalley and Macmillan/Bramble publishers. I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

 

Before We Forget Kindness written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi tells stories about people who have come to a mysterious cafe to travel back in time. I have not read any books by this author but will definitely look for the other four in this series. This book can be read as a standalone.  Each of the characters are introduced and developed within the corresponding stories. There are four stories within this book, four people who want to time travel.  Each for their own reasons. Each story is heartwarming and heartbreaking in many ways. This review does not do justice to this book. It is one of my favorite reads of 2024. One of the very few five-star reads this year. 

From the publisher:

In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series translated from Japanese, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests:

- The father who could not allow his daughter to get married

- A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one

- A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents

- A wife holding a child with no name . . .

They must follow the café's strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. Another moving and heartwarming tale from Toshikazu Kawaguchi, in Before We Forget Kindness our new visitors wish to go back into their past to move on their present, finding closure and comfort so they can embark on a beautiful future.

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Amazon reviews Katereviews.

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: The Book Swap Tessa Bickers

 

This is such a fun refreshing read. I liked the writing style. The story is unique. Each of the characters grew with the story. The care that was taken to address trauma. The love for books and writing. 

Thank you Tessa Bickers for sharing this one with the world. I've already recommended it to do many of my reader friends. 

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

 

 Find more book reviews here under Peasreads.

Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own.